Hi all!!
Well I'm so sorry that I have been so bad about updating this. I didn't realize how long it really had been! Well, I won't go into detail about all of the trips that I have taken since I wrote last....Paris, Barcelona, London, and Dublin. There is so much to tell. But overall, they were all great!! Seeing Amy in Paris was amazing...Paris really is an amazing city and so beautiful. I loved it so much...Amy and I kept saying that we were spending a romantic weekend together :) haha it was very fun. Barcelona was the next weekend...I went to visit Brett and I got to see Vince and Monica too!! It was a great weekend and I loved Barcelona too. Very different feel than Granada and a lot bigger but it was great! It was really good to see some people from home too. Just what I needed at the time. The next weekend was Thanksgiving which was also great. Our program took us out for a really nice dinner and the rest of the weekend I did homework (more papers) and then watched some Christmas movies with my madre :) She even let me have over some friends and we had a Christmas party all together!! haha it was so funny. We went to the store and bought lost of traditional Spanish Christmas food and some American stuff too :) Sara loved it too. Lastly, this past weekend I went to London and Dublin with Megan, Alex, and Lauren. it was really fun but strange at the same time. We all agreed that it was good we went there last because it made us miss a lot of things from home :) There were lots of Christmas decorations and English!!! haha made us really excited to celebrate the holidays with everyone back home! Aside from that it was great to see all the cool sights and we had great weather too. It rained only one night!!
Well, aside from traveling, classes are going well. I only have one more day of regular classes left and then on Thursday we start exams. I have one every day and my last one is on Wednesday, so five in total. Then on next week Thursday I will hang out with my madre and friends...and then leave the next morning for Portugal on Friday!! Sadly I do have to do some homework, take exams, and write one more paper in between having fun these last few weeks :) We are compiling a list of things that we want to do before we leave :)
These past few weeks seem to have flown by!! The past month really! Things have been pretty busy and filled with traveling and homework. Leaving seems so strange...this has really become my life and become normal for me. it makes me sad to think that I have to leave it all, but at the same time I can't wait to get back and see everyone!! Small things still bother me and I'm excited to leave. The smoking for example...I can't wait to smell normal again and not have to smell smoke all the time haha.
Well, I hope to write on here again before I leave. :) haha but who knows what the next week will be like. So, I hope all is well at home and I can't wait to see you all!!!
Love you!
Me
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Another week gone by...
Wow I can't believe how fast this semester is going. I'm already in my 11th week here!! I only have four and a half more weeks of classes after this week! So crazy!
Well, last week there was quite a bit of stuff going on here. First on Monday, we had our last night of cooking class. Kind of sad, it was always a lot of fun, not to mention good food! :) Then on Tuesday night we celebrated the elections here by having an all night party in IES (our program building). We all brought homework, food, blankets, and pjs and watched the elections streamed live and projected it on a big screen. It was pretty fun and exciting to be watching it all from Spain! At times the situation/conversations got a little tense and heated for me haha...but it was very interesting to sit and observe it all. :) I was really glad that we had the chance to stay updated on what was going on even though we are so far away and the time difference is so great. After it was all over, we found some chairs in classrooms and attempted to sleep for a few hours before waking up for class :) Wednesday night I spent sleeping and doing more homework haha I was a little tired. Sadly, I got sick anyways :( But I also had a visit for my art class. And we went to the Generalife. Its part of the Alhambra, a summer home for all the rulers of Granada. It had lots of beautiful gardens and buildings. It was really cold though so we had to bundle up and tried to stay warm :)
Thursday I went to the University of Granada library...well one of their many libraries I should say. I started researching for yet another paper I am writing. But it was actually fairly fun! It felt so great to be back on a campus again! And in a library :) There were so many books and huge huge stacks, it smelled great too. Anyways, we stayed there for about four hours and I got a lot done! ...Came home, and did more homework haha. Friday I had a visit for one of my classes and we went to the summer home of Frederico Garcia Lorca. He is a famous poet from Granada (the whole class is about him). Honestly, kind of a let down haha but oh well. After that I went back to the library for another four hours...again I got a lot done and I'm slowly making progress on a lot of stuff.
Saturday we got up really early for our last IES trip. This time we went to Jerez and Cadiz. We went to Jerez first and watched a horse show! haha so funny and cool at the same time. Parts of it I had no idea why it was supposed to be so cool, but it was all done with the traditional Spanish style and flair. My favorite part was when they let lots of "wild" horses come running in with "caballeros" following them! After that we toured a winery. Apparently it is known through out the world for their great wine, Tio Pepe. It was so pretty though and it was a great day, lots of sun and warm! After that we took the bus again to Cadiz. Once we got there we had the rest of the night free. So Megan, Lauren, Alex, and I wandered the city...went to look at the beach, ate amazing seafood, had some dessert, and then went back to the hotel to relax.
On Sunday morning we got up early to take full advantage of the free continental breakfast :) They always have great breakfast at our hotels so we eat our fair share and then sneak some into our purses for dinner too haha. Afterward our program director took us to the beach and we walked around the city of Cadiz some more. It was soo beautiful!!! Again it was a perfect day! We walked along the ocean, through gardens, and even got to take off our shoes on the beach for a little bit :) Sadly, it was time to leave and get back on the bus to head back to Granada. We drove for several hours and then stopped one more time for lunch and at a national park. At the park we took a little hike for a few hours through these amazing huge rocks!! It was soo beautiful! There were mountains on every side and we just messed around and climbed all these different rock formations. It was such a fun afternoon!
Well, now that we are back in Granada things are back to normal....classes, homework, and sleep :) But I'm really excited for this weekend because I'm leaving on Friday to go to Paris to meet my friend Amy Kamps(Heather's sister)!!!!! I can't wait :) So, I will leave on Friday morning and then get back really really late on Monday night/Tuesday morning. So, I think this is all for now, but I will write you and tell you all about the weekend in Paris!
Lots and lots of Spanish love!! :)
Me
Well, last week there was quite a bit of stuff going on here. First on Monday, we had our last night of cooking class. Kind of sad, it was always a lot of fun, not to mention good food! :) Then on Tuesday night we celebrated the elections here by having an all night party in IES (our program building). We all brought homework, food, blankets, and pjs and watched the elections streamed live and projected it on a big screen. It was pretty fun and exciting to be watching it all from Spain! At times the situation/conversations got a little tense and heated for me haha...but it was very interesting to sit and observe it all. :) I was really glad that we had the chance to stay updated on what was going on even though we are so far away and the time difference is so great. After it was all over, we found some chairs in classrooms and attempted to sleep for a few hours before waking up for class :) Wednesday night I spent sleeping and doing more homework haha I was a little tired. Sadly, I got sick anyways :( But I also had a visit for my art class. And we went to the Generalife. Its part of the Alhambra, a summer home for all the rulers of Granada. It had lots of beautiful gardens and buildings. It was really cold though so we had to bundle up and tried to stay warm :)
Thursday I went to the University of Granada library...well one of their many libraries I should say. I started researching for yet another paper I am writing. But it was actually fairly fun! It felt so great to be back on a campus again! And in a library :) There were so many books and huge huge stacks, it smelled great too. Anyways, we stayed there for about four hours and I got a lot done! ...Came home, and did more homework haha. Friday I had a visit for one of my classes and we went to the summer home of Frederico Garcia Lorca. He is a famous poet from Granada (the whole class is about him). Honestly, kind of a let down haha but oh well. After that I went back to the library for another four hours...again I got a lot done and I'm slowly making progress on a lot of stuff.
Saturday we got up really early for our last IES trip. This time we went to Jerez and Cadiz. We went to Jerez first and watched a horse show! haha so funny and cool at the same time. Parts of it I had no idea why it was supposed to be so cool, but it was all done with the traditional Spanish style and flair. My favorite part was when they let lots of "wild" horses come running in with "caballeros" following them! After that we toured a winery. Apparently it is known through out the world for their great wine, Tio Pepe. It was so pretty though and it was a great day, lots of sun and warm! After that we took the bus again to Cadiz. Once we got there we had the rest of the night free. So Megan, Lauren, Alex, and I wandered the city...went to look at the beach, ate amazing seafood, had some dessert, and then went back to the hotel to relax.
On Sunday morning we got up early to take full advantage of the free continental breakfast :) They always have great breakfast at our hotels so we eat our fair share and then sneak some into our purses for dinner too haha. Afterward our program director took us to the beach and we walked around the city of Cadiz some more. It was soo beautiful!!! Again it was a perfect day! We walked along the ocean, through gardens, and even got to take off our shoes on the beach for a little bit :) Sadly, it was time to leave and get back on the bus to head back to Granada. We drove for several hours and then stopped one more time for lunch and at a national park. At the park we took a little hike for a few hours through these amazing huge rocks!! It was soo beautiful! There were mountains on every side and we just messed around and climbed all these different rock formations. It was such a fun afternoon!
Well, now that we are back in Granada things are back to normal....classes, homework, and sleep :) But I'm really excited for this weekend because I'm leaving on Friday to go to Paris to meet my friend Amy Kamps(Heather's sister)!!!!! I can't wait :) So, I will leave on Friday morning and then get back really really late on Monday night/Tuesday morning. So, I think this is all for now, but I will write you and tell you all about the weekend in Paris!
Lots and lots of Spanish love!! :)
Me
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Update!
Hey everyone!!
So I know that it has been a while since I updated you all! Well, for starters mid terms are finally over!! I'm so glad to finally have them done and it takes a lot off my mind. There was only one I was really disappointed with..haha but oh well. During the week things are pretty much the same: classes, running, homework, and hanging out at night. Last weekend however, we had quite the celebration! One of my friends, Megan, turned 21 and Brett was here!! Brett and I got to spend a lot of time together on Friday. We walked around Granada for a long time and saw a lot of the city. It was a beautiful fall day and not too cold! Then Friday night, we had the birthday extravaganza. :) We started the night by going out for ice cream at our favorite spot and then we went out for tapas. We went to several different tapas places and then we went out dancing. We celebrated the traditional Spanish way by going out dancing until the morning and then having chocolate and churros for breakfast :) Needless to say I didn't get very much sleep that night...I crawled into bed at 8 a.m. haha But it was so worth it! We had so much fun all night and have lots of great stories too!! :) Saturday was spent sleeping :) while Brett went to the Alhambra. Then on Saturday night we went to an amazing Italian restaurant, it was great! We made a list for Megan of 21 things that she had to do. Some included making her own shawarma, getting in a fountain, dancing with a random guy on the street, and many more. haha Soo funny, so for the rest of the night on Saturday she completed the list. :)
This past week was pretty much the same also. Lots of studying, I had three mid terms! Brett came back too on his way back to Barcelona. So, we went to a teteria one night and out for tapas both nights. It was great to see and talk with someone from home!! We had lots of fun hanging out. This weekend has been extremely laid back. It has gotten really cold and it has rained almost all weekend. So, we have sat with our madre by the heater that she has under the table to stay warm. :) Like usual my hands were really cold and she noticed how my finger nails turn purple. haha She kind of freaked out and told me how bad it was. I kept trying to tell her that its normal and happens all the time because I have bad circulation. She went off on a big speech about it and told me all the medications that I should take. haha In the end she ended up bringing me some gloves, and making sure I wear them. Its kind of fun, she has really taken on the mother role for Addie and I :) So, this weekend I'm trying to get a lot of homework done and catch up on the sleep that I lost this week. I'm starting to get another cold too, but I'm trying to fight it! :) Anyways, it has been great to spend lots of time with our madre. Last night for example we had a "noche de la belleza" (beauty night) hahaha Possibly one of the funniest nights I have had so far. She wanted me to pluck her eyebrows. So, she laid down on the couch, put her head in my lap and handed me the tweezers haha Soooo funny!! She was so excited and kept looking at herself in the mirror the rest of the night. I decided we might as well make a night of it, so I brought out my finger nail polish too :) So, there we sat...watching what looked like the Grammy Awards in Spanish, me painting her nails, and eating roasted chestnuts. hahaha It was great! She told me that it made her miss her daughter because they always did this, I told her my mom and I did the same thing. :) So, we had some great bonding time and reminisced together. Made me miss you lots mom!!! :( Today was pretty much the same, more homework/watching tv with Sara, and sleeping :) She made an amazing lunch today too! It was kind of like a beef stew with potatoes, onions, and carrots. I felt like I was at home :) It was the perfect thing to have on a Sunday afternoon in the fall when it is raining outside :)
Well, that's pretty much all the exciting stuff that has happened on this side of the pond. :) Ohh!! I had my first visit to the Alhambra!! I have been here for two months and hadn't seen the most important architectural structure in the south of Spain!! haha It was really cool though...so many things to see. We are going to go back a couple times with my art class so I'm sure I will get to see lots of it. K well, I think that's really all that's been going on. :) Sorry about the sparse updates. I will try to get better about that!
Love you all lots!!!!
Me
xoxoxoxoxo
So I know that it has been a while since I updated you all! Well, for starters mid terms are finally over!! I'm so glad to finally have them done and it takes a lot off my mind. There was only one I was really disappointed with..haha but oh well. During the week things are pretty much the same: classes, running, homework, and hanging out at night. Last weekend however, we had quite the celebration! One of my friends, Megan, turned 21 and Brett was here!! Brett and I got to spend a lot of time together on Friday. We walked around Granada for a long time and saw a lot of the city. It was a beautiful fall day and not too cold! Then Friday night, we had the birthday extravaganza. :) We started the night by going out for ice cream at our favorite spot and then we went out for tapas. We went to several different tapas places and then we went out dancing. We celebrated the traditional Spanish way by going out dancing until the morning and then having chocolate and churros for breakfast :) Needless to say I didn't get very much sleep that night...I crawled into bed at 8 a.m. haha But it was so worth it! We had so much fun all night and have lots of great stories too!! :) Saturday was spent sleeping :) while Brett went to the Alhambra. Then on Saturday night we went to an amazing Italian restaurant, it was great! We made a list for Megan of 21 things that she had to do. Some included making her own shawarma, getting in a fountain, dancing with a random guy on the street, and many more. haha Soo funny, so for the rest of the night on Saturday she completed the list. :)
This past week was pretty much the same also. Lots of studying, I had three mid terms! Brett came back too on his way back to Barcelona. So, we went to a teteria one night and out for tapas both nights. It was great to see and talk with someone from home!! We had lots of fun hanging out. This weekend has been extremely laid back. It has gotten really cold and it has rained almost all weekend. So, we have sat with our madre by the heater that she has under the table to stay warm. :) Like usual my hands were really cold and she noticed how my finger nails turn purple. haha She kind of freaked out and told me how bad it was. I kept trying to tell her that its normal and happens all the time because I have bad circulation. She went off on a big speech about it and told me all the medications that I should take. haha In the end she ended up bringing me some gloves, and making sure I wear them. Its kind of fun, she has really taken on the mother role for Addie and I :) So, this weekend I'm trying to get a lot of homework done and catch up on the sleep that I lost this week. I'm starting to get another cold too, but I'm trying to fight it! :) Anyways, it has been great to spend lots of time with our madre. Last night for example we had a "noche de la belleza" (beauty night) hahaha Possibly one of the funniest nights I have had so far. She wanted me to pluck her eyebrows. So, she laid down on the couch, put her head in my lap and handed me the tweezers haha Soooo funny!! She was so excited and kept looking at herself in the mirror the rest of the night. I decided we might as well make a night of it, so I brought out my finger nail polish too :) So, there we sat...watching what looked like the Grammy Awards in Spanish, me painting her nails, and eating roasted chestnuts. hahaha It was great! She told me that it made her miss her daughter because they always did this, I told her my mom and I did the same thing. :) So, we had some great bonding time and reminisced together. Made me miss you lots mom!!! :( Today was pretty much the same, more homework/watching tv with Sara, and sleeping :) She made an amazing lunch today too! It was kind of like a beef stew with potatoes, onions, and carrots. I felt like I was at home :) It was the perfect thing to have on a Sunday afternoon in the fall when it is raining outside :)
Well, that's pretty much all the exciting stuff that has happened on this side of the pond. :) Ohh!! I had my first visit to the Alhambra!! I have been here for two months and hadn't seen the most important architectural structure in the south of Spain!! haha It was really cool though...so many things to see. We are going to go back a couple times with my art class so I'm sure I will get to see lots of it. K well, I think that's really all that's been going on. :) Sorry about the sparse updates. I will try to get better about that!
Love you all lots!!!!
Me
xoxoxoxoxo
Thursday, October 30, 2008
I'm safe!!!
Hey all,
I just wanted to let you all know that I'm safe and sound here in Granada! There was a car bomb that went off in Pamplona. They have identified it as the Basque terrorist group ETA. But no worries this is 400 miles from me so I am fine and nothing is happening close to Granada!! I just wanted to let you know in case you are watching the news and see it!! :)
I know I haven't updated you recently and I promise to do that this weekend!!!
Love you all!!
Me :)
I just wanted to let you all know that I'm safe and sound here in Granada! There was a car bomb that went off in Pamplona. They have identified it as the Basque terrorist group ETA. But no worries this is 400 miles from me so I am fine and nothing is happening close to Granada!! I just wanted to let you know in case you are watching the news and see it!! :)
I know I haven't updated you recently and I promise to do that this weekend!!!
Love you all!!
Me :)
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Pictures!
I finally got the up-loader to work!!! :) Watch out there are tons! haha I hope you all enjoy them :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
